Put a load on the Honda, or any generator for that matter, if you want to really sample its noise level. Hondas in eco mode are very quiet, even with a load, but they do speak up quite a bit with a load.

I have a Honda 2000. It's a wonderful little generator. I used it once while camping, then left it home and added solar to my trailer. I go camping for peace and quiet and the generator doesn't fit for me. YMMV.

Although money usually plays a big part in oneís decision of which generator to buy, the biggest factor should be "will it handle my needs?" Running a very close second should be "how loud is it?" You may not think that thereís much difference between that Yamaha or Honda running along at 56 dB and the Chinese wonder doing about 75. But, as a rough rule of thumb, an increase of 10 dB is perceived to be approximately twice as loud. Thus a 20 dB gain would seem to be about 4 times as loud and a 40 dB gain would seem to be about 16 times as loud so the numbers do matter. As in life, perception is everything, and you might find yourself parked next to someone whose idea of quiet is not even being able to hear you breathe so nothing would please a person like that.

Our Oliver has a 13,500 BTU A/C and we have a Yamaha
EF3000iSEB. It is advertised at 53 dBA Ė 60 dBA. We have found it will run anything we throw at it. Itís greatest fault is its 154lb weight.

The 2000 watt generator is insufficient to run the 13000 btu AC by itself, but with a companion I can plug into and use the full 30 amp socket. If I don't need the AC, then I can run only one generator and save gas and noise. Plus, two of the 2000 watt Honda generators are less expensive, lighter, more efficient, and smaller than one 3000 watt generator.

Put a load on the Honda, or any generator for that matter, if you want to really sample its noise level. Hondas in eco mode are very quiet, even with a load, but they do speak up quite a bit with a load.

I have a Honda 2000. It's a wonderful little generator. I used it once while camping, then left it home and added solar to my trailer. I go camping for peace and quiet and the generator doesn't fit for me. YMMV.

Ron

If I had to guess, the Honda 2000 roughly doubled in perceived noise outout with a maxed out load plugged in.

ok after reflecting on this for awhile, if you need to run your ac unit, thats probably going to be your biggest power draw. so that is the minimum you will need for generators. now if the rest of the stuff you run is propane or 12 volt, that should be fine.

so in the end, get the best unit you can afford, you will never be sorry you bought the best.

The 2000 watt generator is insufficient to run the 13000 btu AC by itself, but with a companion I can plug into and use the full 30 amp socket. If I don't need the AC, then I can run only one generator and save gas and noise. Plus, two of the 2000 watt Honda generators are less expensive, lighter, more efficient, and smaller than one 3000 watt generator.

I'll jump into the fray. I had a cheap Chinese 1000watt from Northern Tool - 2 stroke and cheap design did not work out for a quiet or pleasurable experience. I only ran it one time at a rest stop. Luckily the idling semis drowned it out. And by the time I finally got it started I most definitely needed that a/c.

After that I started my search for a generator. What I found was the invertor generators are expensive but quiet, the Chinese models are cheap junk, and the larger RV guys liked Champion.

Well, I stumbled across a couple Champion generators in Costco shortly after that. One of them was a 2000watt invertor generator for about $500. Found the exact model with different stickers and colour at Sam's for the same price. I bought the red one from Costco. I have heard the Honda 2000 in person. This Champion is as quiet in Eco mode and doesn't have the deeper growl under load that I heard from the Honda. It starts up the A/C without a whimper in my Egg and will idle back after the a/c has been on for a while.

Like has been said before, if you are at an area where a generator would bother people then you should be plugged in. Other wise you should be so far away from other people that you are more likely to keep yourself awake from the noise.

Actually that's the other one at Sam's. But, besides the colour, it is identical as far as I can tell. And I think I paid closer to $470, but with sales tax and minus the rebate they had at the time, it was closer to $525-530.